Daylight saving time 2023: Do I need to set my clock forward or backward this weekend?
Brady Knox
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The United States is set once again to observe daylight saving time despite some legislative efforts to end the practice.
Daylight saving time is set to begin being observed this Sunday, March 12, at 2 a.m. People will need to set their clocks forward one hour to “spring forward” into spring. Clocks are set back one hour in the fall to “fall back.”
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The practice was spearheaded by Germany and Austria-Hungary during World War I because the two were hit especially hard by the fuel blockade of the Triple Entente, according to WebExhibits. In 1916, both instituted the first daylight saving time in order to conserve fuel needed for electricity. Most of the Triple Entente, along with a string of neutral nations, followed suit within months.
The United States instituted the practice in 1918, but it was repealed a year later due to how unpopular it was. People at the time went to bed and woke up much earlier. It was again instituted as an emergency policy during World War II, but it was discontinued upon the war’s conclusion. The ensuing decades saw a number of congressional battles over the practice, and the most notable changes were the 1966 Uniform Time Act and the Emergency Daylight Saving Time Energy Conservation Act of 1973.
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However, the practice of changing times in the U.S. now faces perhaps its greatest threat yet from increasing legislative pushes to make daylight saving time permanent. A measure was introduced in the Senate last year but failed to pass the House. A new effort was launched by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) last week with the reintroduction of the Sunshine Protection Act.
Several states have already voted to make daylight saving time permanent and are waiting on federal approval, according to the Sleep Foundation.